Zimbabwe: Mana Pools–Dispatch 1

As our plane’s toothpick-sized land gear was about to touch tire to dirt strip our young pilot gave it some gas (so to speak) and we took off again. Why? Because the resident jackal pack was unwilling to cede the runway. Looking down we could see our greeters dashing down the hardpacked strip flapping their hands and waving their arms. By the time we’d made a wide circle and returned for another attempt the jackals had made a desultory exit to a nearby shade tree.

All of this was more commotion than I needed, what with the mighty Zambezi and three days canoeing through Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park awaiting. We would be paddling down Africa’s fourth longest river, past riverine islands, sandbanks, canals and pools flanked by forests of mahogany, wild figs, ebonies and baobabs. I am neither a canoe-ist nor a kayaker and while I can swim to save my life, that statement about says it in a nutshell. I will deal with water when I have to, but you will not find me throwing myself into the surf to ride a wave on a boogy-board.

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